Home › Glossary › Letter A

Anitya

World Religion
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The Buddhist doctrine of impermanence, stating that all conditioned phenomena are in a constant state of flux and decay.

Detailed Definition
Anitya is one of the three marks of existence in Buddhism, fundamental to understanding the nature of reality and the cause of suffering (dukkha). In poetry, both within Buddhist scriptures like the Dhammapada and in secular works, the contemplation of impermanence is a central theme. Poets use images of falling leaves, fading sunsets, and decaying ruins to evoke Anitya, encouraging a mindful detachment from the transient world and a deeper appreciation for the present moment. It is the philosophical foundation for much of the elegiac and contemplative tone in spiritual literature.
Example
Example in poetry:
Buddhist poets use anitya (impermanence) to reflect on the fleeting nature of life: “Cherry blossoms fall—anitya’s soft sermon”; In Japanese haiku tradition, anitya underlies seasonal references (kigo), as in Bashō’s “Summer grasses—/ all that remains / of warriors’ dreams”; Modern poets invoke anitya to process grief: “Your voice, once constant, now echoes in the key of anitya”; In Zen poetry, anitya is not mourned but embraced: “The river flows—neither holding nor losing, only being.”
Additional Notes
Anitya (impermanence) is one of the Three Marks of Existence in Buddhism, alongside dukkha (suffering) and anatta (non-self); poets often use seasonal imagery—falling cherry blossoms in Japanese haiku or autumn leaves in Zen verse—to embody anitya, reminding readers of life’s fleeting beauty and the urgency of awakening; this doctrine also underpins elegiac and meditative modes across religious poetry.
Also Known As
Impermanence
Skip to main content